I’m soo excited to announce that the spring registration for tennis lessons for kids and adults is now open!  The schedule is up and ready for you all to start registering for that coveted tennis spot.

This new and improved website is just one of the many features we have been working on here at BumbleBee Tennis over the winter.   I am completely overflowing with excitement with how exciting the 2012 tennis season will be for us!

New Director, Antonio

One of the biggest exciting updates is our new director Antonio.  He brings so much tennis experience as an instructor and as a player to BumbleBee Tennis.  In addition, his passion for the sport is so contagious!  I’m sure you will love him and will see him around, as he will be stopping by the lessons very frequently.

2012 Updated and Improved Tennis Curriculum

The next big news is that we have a completely updated our curriculum for every single program (kids & adults).  We have been working on it, Antonio and I, for the entire winter.  We have debated, researched, and thought some more about how we can create the most innovative tennis learning environment.  From my years of experience in the tennis teaching world, I I have only seen a few other tennis schools in the world put as much time, experience, and thought into developing a complete tennis program like this for a kids program and and adults program.  Finally, with the spring it is ready to be launched.  This is version 3.0 of the BumbleBee Curriculum.  I say that because we want to hear your feedback so that we can find even more ways to make it better.  At Bumblebee Tennis we never stop improving.

Updated Website

And the most obvious thing is, as you can tell is our updated website.  Let me just say there are days when I would work on updating the website and never see the outside world, lol yes, I still do a lot of the website management for BumbleBee Tennis.  Not only does it look cooler and sleeker, it has some behind the scenes functionality that will be introduced later on in the season, so make sure to stay tuned .

Can you believe we started offering tennis lessons a little under seven years ago.  I started off with the location in Gramercy and slowly added tennis lessons from there.  Thank you for everyone who has come along with me on this journey.

We are excited to be your resource for everything tennis.

We have 2 indoor tennis lessons locations this Winter. We offer kids afterschool tennis lessons at SoHo and weekend morning lessons at Gramercy.

Our adult tennis lessons and cardio tennis clinics will resume in the Spring.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.

Thank you for your interest in and for choosing BumbleBee Tennis! We look forward to seeing you on the court!

Sincerely,
Kristy Oshita, Program Director &
the BumbleBee Tennis Staff

Read Why Choose BumbleBee Tennis… Free Tennis or Not and let us tell you why. You might also want to read and see where we’ve been seen in print or on the web. So check out our BumbleBee Tennis as seen in post!

Get more information on our affordable Youth Tennis and Adult Tennis lessons in NYC where we have locations in Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn!
Interested to sign up to our Spring Youth Tennis Program, Adult Spring Tennis Program or our Summer Camp 2011? Let us know. Fill out our Spring 2011 Sign Up Interest-Youth, Spring 2011 Sign Up Interest-Adult or Summer 2011 Sign Up Interest forms.

The most commonly used method for finding your grip size is by using the following steps:
• On your dominant hand, note that your palm has three main creases.
• Hold your hand flat, with the fingers alongside one another.
• Measure from the middle crease of your palm, up the line between your middle and ring fingers, to a point equal to the height of the tip of your ring finger.

if you’re between an eighth of an inch when you measure and you’re not growing, you’ll be better off going with the smaller grip, as a slightly small grip can be fattened up easily with an overwrap, One thing to keep in mind is that overwraps can’t fatten a grip effectively more than 1/8 of an inch without rounding off of the bevel edges on your handle.

Grip sizes between 4 1/8″ and 4 5/8″ are easy to find in adult racquets. Larger and smaller grips are made for some racquets, but not all. Players with unusually small or large hands often have their racquet handles custom-sized at a pro shop, you May also be able to get a do-it-yourself grip enlargement kit.

If you have a comment or idea for a future blog post please send me an email markb@bumblebeetennis.com

Beginner players may need more instruction before jumping into Cardio Tennis. We offer an Intro to Tennis class that will provide an overview of the serve, volley, forehand and backhand. In general, Intro to Tennis lessons are great for those who first want to work on their technique before performing tennis drills as well as those who want a review of the basics.

We are offering adult indoor tennis classes this winter for Cardio and Intro to Tennis Programs. Classes in Brooklyn begin in January while Manhattan classes are still being created and soon to follow.

Thanks for reading
Mark

Have a question or an idea for a future blog post. I’d love to hear from you. Send me an email markb@bumblebeetennis.com

Looking for a great exercise that will more directly affect your tennis conditioning?
Try skipping Rope. Boxers have some of the quickest feet in the world and jumping rope is a major part of their training regime. It’s also a great workout that will help develop control, endurance, speed, coordination and strength.

Change things up depending on the season. In the winter try sledding, skiing or snowboarding, summer hiking, biking and swimming are a great way to have fun while getting exercise. Routine family walks are great any time.

The most important thing to remember when exercising with kids is to keep it FUN!

We are we excited to announce that we are very close to finalizing a Manhattan and a Brooklyn location for Adult Winter Tennis.
Brooklyn lessons will be held in the Gym at J.Erricson Jr. High School located close to McCarren Park. We are just finalizing how the nets will be set up (if we will be able to string a full size net without sag or if we need to find another alternative) and should have this location ready for sign up by the end of the week. Classes will be held on Sundays between 12:00 and 2:00 until December 20th for holiday break and then resume January 8th with an extended schedule from 12:00 to 5:00 pm. We will be offering Beginner, Cardio, Intermediate and Private Lessons.

Our Manhattan Location will also be located in a school Gym. We are in the process now of finalizing the location dates and times and hope to have it completed by the end of the week. The facility is upper west side around 70’s Street.

Prices and class set up for both locations are being finalized.

If you know anyone else who may be interested in winter classes please refer them to the follow page or email me at info@bumblebeetennis.com.

Mark
I would love to hear your questions, comments and suggestions for future posts, send me an email info@bumblebeetennis.com

One of the questions I am often asked is “What size racquet should I buy for my child? “

The age of the child should be the first consideration when choosing a racquet. Racquets are available that are made specifically for junior players under the age of 12. Other than construction, the main difference between a kid’s racquet and adult racquet is length. A standard adult racquet is 27 to 28 inches long while junior racquets range from 19 inches to 26 inches in length. The younger the child is the shorter the racquet should be, though it is always better to go with the longest racquet that the child can comfortably handle.

The U.S. Tennis Association recommends racquets 19 inches to 21 inches long for kids ages five and six. Kids age seven and eight should use racquets up to 23 inches long. Nine- and 10-year-olds can use rackets up to 25 inches long. Your child’s height might be better criteria for selecting a racket, with taller children using longer rackets.

Determine the weight of the racquet that is best for your child. The heavier the racquet, the more difficult it will be to swing and hold for an entire lesson.

Ask your child what type of racquet design or color they want can tell you from experience of buying a racquet for my 5 year old recently that this was the most important feature for him.
Hope this helps

Mark

I would love to hear you questions comments or suggestions for future blog posts, send me an email at info@bumblebeetennis.com

Bumblebee Tennis utilizes the exciting new Quick Start format for learning tennis. Quick Start is designed to bring kids into the game by using specialized equipment, shorter court dimensions and modified scoring – all tailored to age and size. Kids enjoy a fun, motivating introduction to tennis emphasizing fun and play, It’s the fast, fun way to get kids into tennis and keep them playing.

Benefits of Quick Start Tennis:

1.   The Quick Start Tennis format works by getting kids into the game immediately. 

2.   Scaling the game down to their size helps make the learning process easier and a lot more fun.

3.   The size adaptation gives them the chance to play real points and rally the ball back and forth.

4.   Quick Start Tennis stresses the importance of actually playing the game of tennis

5.   It's an open-armed welcome for your child, in hopes of creating players for life!

From learning the basics to rallying, Bumblebee Tennis programs are available for all ages and all levels. Our group classes are designed to make the game
fun, while guiding each player’s development.

This winter we will be offering youth indoor tennis at 5 locations, SoHo, Gramercy, Midtown West, Washington Heights and Brooklyn.  Early registration discounts have been extended through 11/30 .Classes are filling up! Sign up now and Save 

Winter Registration is OPEN!

Want an easy and convenient way to keep your kids active this winter?  Indoor tennis now offered at 5 convenient indoor locations (Manhattan and Brooklyn)!  

Sign up today and receive dicounted early registration pricing!

Winter Season Dates

PS 111 Midtown West 12/03/2011 – 3/24/2012

PS 40 Gramercy  12/04/2011 – 3/25/2012

Soho 1/2/2012 – 3/30/2012

McCarren ( Ericcson Jr High ) 1/08/2012 – 3/25/2012

Washington Heights 1/24/2012 – 3/13/2012

Sign up today to reserve your spot. Space is limited.

Encouraging instructors fun drills and classes in an indoor setting make Washington Heights the place to be for youth tennis lessons in northern Manhattan. The semester 11/08/2011 and runs through 01/03/2012.

For more information on class schedules and availability click here.